The Garden She Planted

The Garden She Planted is a musical composition and soundscape that is a celebration of women and the space that women create for self, for others, space to be creative, space to be heard, space to be loved, space to mourn, etc.

The Garden She Planted is a part of Sovereign a show curated by Meredith Connelly at the McColl Center Spring 2025

Sovereign: Honoring Bodily Autonomy is an interdisciplinary exhibition that invites thoughtful exploration of bodily autonomy from a variety of perspectives. Through artistic mediums such as painting, sculpture, installation, and performance, the exhibition delves into themes of self-determination, consent, personal agency, reproductive rights, healthcare access, and identity expression. By amplifying the work of artists from marginalized groups, including voices from the LGBTQIA+ community, Sovereignoffers a platform for perspectives that are often missing from mainstream discussions around autonomy and identity.

The exhibition also addresses broader global challenges, including access to reproductive healthcare, discrimination, and the cultural factors that shape how bodily autonomy is understood across different communities. Through the exploration of these deeply personal and global issues, Sovereign invites visitors to reflect on how personal freedom is navigated and experienced within various cultural and societal contexts. 

Curated by Meredith Connelly, (https://www.meredithconnelly.com/artist-meredith-connelly) the exhibition seeks to create space for meaningful dialogue and connection around these essential themes.

Sovereign, presented by McColl Center and Art By Meredith Connelly (https://www.meredithconnelly.com/), with media sponsorship by Charlotte Is Creative (https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/) and community partnership with Safe Alliance (https://www.safealliance.org/), is also supported by an Arts and Science Council’s Cultural Vision Grant. (https://artsandscience.org/cultural-vision-grants/)

The women pictured in this post graciously allowed me to interview them and record their voices to use and integrate into the piece.